Thirteen-year-old Luke Morgan is living a charmed life on his Grandpa Theo’s farm, sheltered from the noise of the world by endless, rural beauty. But, his country innocence is quickly shattered one late afternoon as he watches an approaching thunderstorm with his grandfather at his side. Something other than churning clouds are in the sky that day. A twisting, black, mass of evil that his grandfather is not unfamiliar with.
Upon seeing the strange spectacle, Theo tells Luke that the two of them must travel to their neighbor’s home—and kill the entire family. Luke quickly learns there is much he doesn’t know about his kindly grandfather, as he is plunged into a nightmarish world of demons and human suffering.

The doors swung open with ease, and I stepped into the world of real light. It was wonderful. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, smelling flowers and churned earth. I heard voices mingled with the crackle of static coming from cop radios. I opened my eyes and noticed a black hearse parked next to the hospital beneath a tattered cedar-tree. Painted on the doors was Hughes County Coroner.

“Holy, crap. It’s her.” I quickly looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to me. I was practically invisible. I scooted to the hearse and peeked in a window. Through a set of small drapes, I was barely able to make out a black body bag. Then I noticed the back of the hearse was wide open.

I had to get a closer look.

I approached the bag and saw that it was not fully zipped. A small tuft of gray hair poked through the opening, which was apparently the head. Her feet were closest to me, which meant I was going to have to crawl inside to get a better look.

What was wrong with me?

Knowing full well how absurd my actions were, yet unable to stop myself, I clambered inside and made my way to the protruding hair. I was a foot or two away from her head when it started to wiggle. In fact, the entire bag wiggled like it was full of vibrators. Gurgling sounds were coming from within.

Today I am hosting author Min Edwards . Here is a blurb and excerpt on her new book Stone Fall :

Stone Fall – Book 3 in the High Tide Suspense Series Romantic Suspense by Min Edwards

Blurb:

She’s running for her life. He’s vowed to save her, whether she wants him to or not.

Sandra Hastings has just lost the case of her career. Mob boss Silvestre Buonovenura is exonerated and now out to get her. And if that’s not enough, the New York DA’s office has politely asked her to take some time off… maybe a lot of time… maybe forever.

Nick McCullough is a little bored with tiny Stone Bay, Maine, and his new job as Chief of Police. He’s hopeful though that a weekend camping with the lovely Sandra Hastings might just be the answer to his prayers, get him back on track, lift his spirits. Now he has to make sure that the mob boss who’s put a hit out on her doesn’t get the chance to complete his plans. Maybe his little weekend away won’t be as restful as Nick had planned.

Excerpt:

With her face in the dirt, Sandra was almost to the point of giving up when she heard something from the jungle across the clearing. A rustling but not accompanied by the distinctive chatter of the small monkeys who had kept her awake during the past two nights. In fact, there was no other sound. It was as if the jungle creatures had turned to stone in fear. And the thought of what could instill that in them had her slowly easing her head up from the dirt.

At first, she saw nothing in the dim moments before the sun’s rays could angle directly into the clearing, but she still heard rustling in the bushes at a point directly across from her shed. Something was there, something big.

Then from the corner of her eye, she saw movement. At first just a dark boxy shape peeking out of the leaves. Perhaps one of those monkeys.

Nope. In the next instant, the square black shape became something long… and slithery.

At first, it came into the now illuminated clearing slowly, sinuously. She knew the head looked big from her vantage point in the dirt, but as she pushed her body up with her arms, she realized that big wasn’t a… big enough word for the creature. It slithered out into the early morning light and slithered and then slithered some more until in the center of the clearing the thing began coiling and stacking its body until it looked like a turban for a giant.

Sandra knew she should do something. But nothing much came to mind except to stare. She was still caught with her butt wedged under the shed door. If that thing started toward her, she wouldn’t have a chance of pushing herself back under the door to the safety of her cell. And she’d dug a damn hole as a welcoming entrance for the beast. Come on inside and have a meal… of tasty, plump American woman. Nick, where are you? I need you to come and kill this thing right now.

Since contorting her body back under the door probably was impossible, the alternative was to push onward—without disturbing the turban-beast. So as quietly as she could, with her eyes glued to the snake in front of her, she wiggled, pushed with her toes, shimmied her hips until her butt popped free. Of course, the popping came with an added bonus… a big rip in the seat of her pants.

Today I am hosting author Margo Hoornstra. Here is a blurb and excerpt on her new book Saturday in Serendipity :

SATURDAY IN SERENDIPITY BY MARGO HOORNSTRA

3 Stories in 1 Anthology

A 20 year high school reunion changes the lives of former classmates & leads to unexpected futures.

Three Strikes Thursday

Blurb:

Barry Carlson had it all, a successful pro baseball career and the adoration of any woman he wanted. Except one, Amanda Marsh. Twenty years ago, in high school, Barry won Amanda’s love only to crush her heart. Forced to retire in his prime, he’s back in their home town of Serendipity, Vermont determined to earn a second chance. Recently divorced, Amanda is happily single until Barry slides back into her life. She isn’t interested in a repeat performance. Turning him down should be easy, if only he wasn’t still the love of her life. Barry and Amanda must put aside old wounds and new misunderstandings to find their forever love.

Excerpt:

The solution was simple. Get out of the car, walk up to the house and ring the bell. Apologize for the intrusion when her father came to the door, and ask to see Amanda.

Only for a couple of minutes. Please.

Then he could fall all over himself telling her how sorry he was.

“Yeah that’s gonna fly.” His whisper filled the emptiness around him, and he dropped his head. “Face it, asshole. You blew it.”

In an odd way, talking to himself, he didn’t feel quite so alone.

He turned his gaze back to stare at Amanda’s window. The shade was still down. Her light was out.

So that was it.

Moving like a rigid, soulless robot, Barry put the car in gear and drove slowly away. Picking up speed as he left Amanda’s subdivision, he floored it once he hit the highway. With the windows down, the warm night air cooled as it roared around him.

He flicked the headlights on high. Their beams lit up the trees, telephone poles and bushes as they whizzed by. Nothing could stop him as long as he kept his foot down hard on the gas pedal. Then something did.

Pulling to one side of the deserted road, he jammed the gear shift into park, jumped out, ran around to the back bumper, bent over.

And puked his guts out onto the warm asphalt.

Two On Tuesday

Blurb:

Blane Weston’s construction company needs the venture capital Matt Durand is more than willing to provide. But with his reputation for hostile business takeovers, she makes it clear she wants no part of what he has to offer. Especially when he shows up at one of her building sites, unannounced and early to negotiate terms. Besides, Blane has other plans for the next few days. Alone and single for far too long, she’s ready to hook up with a former flame at her high school reunion in Serendipity, Vermont. Not used to being denied, Matt follows her only to find her destination holds memories and unfinished business for him. How can Blane possibly enjoy a journey back to her past when Matt is determined to dictate her future?

Excerpt:

Sparks flashed in those bright green eyes that had so captivated him from day one. Except, just now he was sorely tempted to dodge out of the way so he wouldn’t get scorched by escaping flames.

“It’s my job to remember a lot of things.” Her gaze dropped away from his. “The appointment with you wasn’t one of them. I thought you understood that had been cancelled.”

“Guess nobody told me.” Though he couldn’t let her see him sweat, a frantic voice screamed at him this wasn’t going to work. Ignoring it, somehow he kept his composure as he slowly shut the door. “I had some questions.”

“About Weston?” She picked up some papers she moved to the left corner of her desk. “Galloway, or do you still represent the Dorman involvement with Advanced Properties.”

“None of the above.”

Leaning forward, she leveled a wary gaze on him. “What do you want then?”

With a deep breath and a prayer, he pushed off from the doorway. “You.”

One Fateful Friday

Blurb:

His twentieth high school reunion in Serendipity, Vermont leaves hospital CEO Jake Holbrook feeling lonely and alone. So when a special woman from his past tumbles back into his life—and his bed—he’s determined to keep her there. Family practice physician Bethany Thomas knows it’s a bad idea to sleep with her late husband’s best friend—even if he is the only man she ever loved. After years of marriage to the wrong man, she isn’t looking for an entanglement with her future boss. Clashing philosophies on patient care lead Bethany to betray Jake. As the holidays approach, his job is on the line. Can Bethany and Jake overcome their lack of trust to find their own Christmas miracle?

One fateful Friday night had progressed to an inevitable morning after. In contrast to the heat of a late August day outside, their cozy Palm Springs hotel room took on a sudden chill. Her rock of security stirred. Their perfect existence tilted. Reality hit with the subtlety of Dorothy being blasted out of Kansas.

“Which is?” She braced for his response.

Like everyone else, was good old reliable Jake about to bail on her?

Nestled beside her in the bed they shared, he took another breath. “We need to talk about what just happened.”

Each word sliced through her heart. “And?”

“Difficult as it is for me to admit stupidity, we, ah, didn’t exactly practice safe sex.”

“There’s no chance I could become pregnant if that’s your concern.” She made sure her tone was solid and direct. “I’ve been—I’ve taken care of that.”

Mostly at her late husband’s insistence since he never wanted children. Another philosophical difference which drove them apart. True to his selfish nature, Brian made it clear the responsibility to ensure they didn’t procreate fell to her. Rather than argue, she took her birth control pills as prescribed. No matter how much she loathed doing it. A practice she’d maintained out of habit, even after the man she’d been married to for nearly twenty years was gone. The one she’d begun divorce proceedings against shortly before his unexpected death.

“That’s not what I’m asking, Bethy. It’s what I’m trying to tell you. I’m not capable of getting anyone pregnant.”

Today I am hosting author Sharon Buchbinder. Here is a blurb and excerpt on her new book Haunting of Hotel LaBelle:

Haunting of Hotel LaBelle – Paranormal Romance by Sharon Buchbinder

Blurb:

When hotel inspector, Tallulah Thompson, is called in along with her pug, Franny, to investigate renovation delays, she meets an extremely annoyed and dapper turn-of-the-century innkeeper. The only problem is he’s in limbo, neither dead nor alive, and Tallulah and the pug are the first to see him in a hundred years.

Cursed by a medicine woman, “Love ‘em and Leave ‘em Lucius” Stewart is stuck between worlds until he finds his true love and gives her his heart. When he first sees Tallulah, he doesn’t know what he’s feeling. Yet, her stunning beauty, and feisty attitude pull him in.

With the fate of Hotel LaBelle on the line, Tallulah with the help of a powerful medicine woman turns Lucius back into a flesh and blood man. She and Lucius team up to save the hotel, but Tallulah can’t help but wonder if he will ever let go of his past love and learn to love again.

Excerpt:

Every muscle in her body screamed for a hot bath. Tallulah cranked on the faucets of the claw-foot tub, plugged her cell phone in to charge, and stripped out of her travel clothes. She stepped into the steaming water and sank down into the bubbles, closing her eyes with a sigh of contentment. Franny plopped on the rug next to the tub and snored. An hour later, Tallulah awoke to a yapping pug and tepid bathwater. She stepped over the dancing dog, dropped her flannel nightgown over her head, and brushed her teeth while the little beast cocked her head and watched. “Let it never be said that a pug allowed its owner to brush their teeth alone.” Franny snorted.

The nightlight cast a small yellow glow when Tallulah opened the bathroom door, headed to the bed—and stopped. A drop-dead gorgeous mustachioed man with brown wavy hair falling to the collar of his old-fashioned suit perched on the edge of her four poster. The scent of cigar smoke and whiskey wafted to her on the breeze from the overhead fan, and his shadow stretched across the quilt in an extended parody of his height. Franny leaped at the man’s legs and barked. He reached down to pet the dog, murmured something, and she wagged her curly little tail. Rooted to the spot, heart thrumming in her throat, Tallulah debated running back into the bathroom and calling Will on her cell phone to get his butt up to the room and explain how this stranger got past her dead bolted and chained door. She took a deep breath. Flight wasn’t an option since he blocked her path from the room. Besides, she’d have to unwrap her pug from around his ankles or leave her here with the intruder. Not a chance. Time to put up a good fight. “Who the hell are you?” She wanted to snatch Franny away from him, but didn’t want to get too close to this stranger. “What are you doing in my room?”

The man’s dark, intelligent eyes widened and his eyebrow quirked. “You can see me?”

“Of course I can see you. I repeat. Who the hell are you? You’re sitting on my bed as if you own the place.”

“I’m Lucius Stewart. I do own the place. I’m the proprietor of Hotel LaBelle.”

Today I am hosting author K.M. Daughters. Here is a blurb and excerpt on K.M. Daughters’ new book Fill the Stadium:

Fill the Stadium – Contemporary Romance by K.M. Daughters

Blurb:

Nikki Lambert’s husband purposely stalls his truck in the path of the midnight freight on the same day her eldest son, Jack, is diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder.

Injured NFL quarterback, Ramsey Delaney is benched from his starting position leaving him ample time for more hands-on involvement in The Good Sports Club, a community center he established where Nikki’s sons, Jack and Rocky are enrolled.

Jack’s deteriorating motor skills concern Ram’s employees who bar Jack from attending the club without Ram’s knowledge. Nikki wants nothing but normalcy for Jack and she heatedly confronts Ram for depriving her son of a beloved activity. Ram immediately reinstates Jack forging the fateful bond between Nikki and her boys’ number-one sports hero. Ram is instantly attracted to Nikki. He wants to win her heart more than he’s ever wanted to win a game. But after her husband’s terrible abandonment will Nikki trust Ram’s motives and open her heart to love again?

Excerpt:

“It’s not funny Ram. How dare you hire people to tear up my house without my knowledge? What the hell were you thinking?”

His stomach tightened. He yearned to thread his fingers through her silky hair, too. In the next second he questioned his motives once more, something he had done repeatedly since she had stormed his office the first time. Ram still remained satisfied that he wasn’t trying to buy or to manipulate her affections. Whether or not she’d ever see him the way that he saw her, Ram had to help Jack. The compulsion had become near obsession. He’d spend his last dime and would have fought anyone who had tried to stop him, including Nikki.

Nikki pinned him with a penetrating glare, tense and unsmiling.

“Say something,” he said.

“I can take care of my son.”

“I never said you couldn’t. No one could give Jack better care than you. I just want you to let me help you.”

She wagged her head, no. “It’s too much Ram. I can’t accept it.”

“I think it might be a little late to refuse.” He smiled but the dark stare she gave him had him back stepping, “Look,” he said, holding his palms up in supplication, “Let’s be honest. I have been paid an obscene amount of money to play football. More than I will ever need. I have the money to fix up your house for Jack, and you don’t have money to spare. It’s nothing. It’s what friends do for each other.”

“You’re out of your mind. It’s too much.” Her chest heaved. She sighed and he detected a slight softening in her eyes and a minuscule slackening of her shoulders.

Encouraged Ram paced a step closer. “What can I say? I’m just a dumb jock.”

Today I am hosting author A.K. Smith. Here is a blurb and excerpt on A.K. Smith’s new book A deep Thing:

A Deep Thing by A.K. Smith – Suspense with Romantic Elements

Blurb: What was her husband hiding in the jungles of Mexico?

Rocked by her husband’s tragic death, Kendall Jackson strives to put her life back together. But Ryder, her nineteen-year-old stepson, is bitter and wants nothing to do with her. And she can’t keep the grief at bay. Sometimes, it’s so strong, she wonders if life is worth living.

A call from a cave diver in Mexico gives her hope of mending the relationship with her stepson. Before his death, her husband arranged a diving expedition as a birthday gift for his son. Kendall persuades Ryder to honor his father’s last wish.

From the campus of Western Maryland College to the woods of Camp David and the caves of the Yucatán, Kendall and Ryder take a journey to discover what her husband worked so hard to hide, and to protect his treasured secrets from falling into the wrong hands. The choices they make will decide their fate and the future of others. Will they risk everything for the truth?

Excerpt: Kendall, sat cross-legged on the bed, staring at her laptop. A glass of white wine, sat untouched on the bedside table. She put her iPod in, selected Jason Mraz and turned it up loud.

She turned off the Wi-Fi. Her mind was battling thoughts of hackers and computer surveillance.

She held the unusual memory stick in her hand before plugging it into the side of her computer. Black rubber surrounded the stick like the rubber on an underwater camera. Here goes. She watched it upload. Let’s see what this is all about.

Ten documents labeled by date flashed on her computer screen. Six documents dated years before Tim and Kendall met; the other four ranged from the beginning of their relationship to one dated three days before Tim died.

Inhaling deeply, she touched her mouse, pulling down to the right and clicking without hesitation on the last icon, a video file. She squeezed her eyes to hold back tears as Tim’s face filled the screen. The background was the upstairs office over the garage. She hit play.

“This message is for my wife. Kendall, if you’re watching this video, I’m so sorry not to be with you. Obviously, something happened to me for you to be hearing this. I know life’s been hard for you. I’m sorry, my love, I’m sorry I kept a secret from you, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy to protect a division of the US government. I hoped they will share this video with you. I can’t disclose the details about my job, but it’s not important to us. Something I did, not who I am. You know who I am, Kendall, you’re the only one who really knew me.”

She wiped the tears running off her chin.

“Stay close with Ryder, he’s not your blood, but he is a part of me and I want him in your life. UWMA, Kendall, UWMA I love you, Lambie.”

Her brows furrowed as tears ran down her face and her open mouth. She gasped for air. A division of the US government? Some type of CIA agent? The badge said Navy. UWMA. Was this truly happening?

***This blog post contains spoilers. If you haven’t finished season seven, continue at your own risk.***

Hi there! Just finished season seven of Vampire Diaries. Not sure what to think. I knew the show would struggle after Nina Dobrev exited the show. The show was so centrally built around the three main characters Elena, Stefan and Damon. After it was announced that Elena would not be returning, I wondered how they would continue show. For several season I was really missing the original premise of the first two years.

I really liked the story of ordinary high school students confronted by the paranormal world of vampires, werewolves and witches. There were very nice touches of small town life. Miss mystic falls, the party in the woods before school starts, Stefan and Elena’s diary, football games and cheerleading. Then there was the love triangle between Elena, Stefan and Damon. The good vampire, Stefan, struggling with his dark side. The bad vampire, Damon, struggling with his good side. Elena, although always standing by Stefan, feeling torn between the two brothers. In short, the show was a perfect blend between the troubles of teenage life and the supernatural.

Once Elena turned into a vampire, the story seemed to lose focus on the human teenager aspect and drifted more into a pure supernatural show. It lost some of its charm and emotional impact. I began to lose interest. Although I am aware I am in the minority, I was never happy with the Damon and Elena relationship. Stefan was always the right choice for her as a human. Maybe as a vampire, Damon was a good choice. When she returned to human form, the show totally blew off the epic love story that was Stefan and Elena. It was a mere blip on the radar. Elena chose Damon like it wasn’t ever in question.

This season, I watched the show struggle with its future without Elena. Major plot lines ended too quickly. Their mother who’d just returned, was killed off too early. Stefan and Damon entered the phoenix stone and were released the next episode. Rayna Cruz enters the picture and then exits just as quickly leaving Bonnie cursed with the need to finish Ryana’s work. That plot line gets wrapped up very quickly as well. The switch between present day and three years from now occurred for no apparent reason. It was a very uneven season.

But there is hope. By the end of the seventh season, Damon and Enzo are engaged in a bad vampire killing spree. That is promising. Also, Damon heard Elena’s voice. Sure the scenes shown were old clips and her voice could have been pieced together from previous footage. Still, might they bring Elena back? Even if Elena never reappears, bad Damon is fun to watch and may breathe life into the show. So I’m in. I’ll watch the show next season and hope for the best.

Hi there! As you’ve probably seen in some of my friend’s posts, we are doing the Candace Haven’s fast draft. The idea of the fast draft is to complete a manuscript in two weeks by committing to writing twenty pages a day. This is my first time to do the fast draft so I decided to do fast draft light or twelve pages a day. I’m working on the next installment of the Martini Club 4 series entitled Priceless.

The math indicated that I needed to complete twelve pages a day to finish my novella in two weeks. As relieved as I was I wasn’t committed to twenty pages a day, I had no idea how long it could take to finish twelve. According to Ms. Havens, she could complete twenty pages in three and a half hours when she first started to fast draft. It takes me at least that long to complete the twelve. So it is very fortunate I started with a novella.

That being said, I know I will get faster every time I participate in the fast draft. And I now have completed fifty-two pages. I feel pretty good about that. It doesn’t seem that impossible that I will finish by the end of the two weeks. However, it does take quite a bit out of me to write these long stints. So this post will be short.

Hi there! So the Thunder played yesterday and lost. My eldest cried. My husband doesn’t want to talk about it. Me? Well I didn’t really watch the game. Unless I physically go to the game, I don’t watch it. That misguided preference of mine is what marks me, as my husband informs me, as not a true fan. A true fan struggles through the losses feeling deep enduring pain when their team loses. How else can you experience the insurmountable high when they win? Because I’m not willing to suffer when they lose, I’m not really a fan.

I have to admit, he has a point. But watching them lose is not something I can handle. It just hurts too much. The disappointment is too deep. Maybe it’s because I’m an attorney and don’t like to lose. No one really does but some people handle it better. I don’t. I’m a very poor loser. A burning rage surges through me. I get snappish. My stomach churns. I just don’t like feeling that way. So I cope with it in the most cowardly way possible. I hole up in my room and watch back to back episode of The Walking Dead. And, yes, I will be blogging about this show in later posts. It’s an excellent show. Thanks to the Thunder I am now on season four. But I digress.

Last night, I walked in and out of the living room where my husband, daughter and four friends watched the game. They were kind enough to give me updates. “It’s all good, Krysta, we’re ahead”. The next time, “We’re still ahead. Don’t worry.” Then, “It’s still okay we’re tied.” Really? Tied? That didn’t sound too good. So I went back to my room. I knew all was lost the last time I opened the door. My eldest fixed me with a somber stare and slowly shook her head. Message received. Don’t come out. We’re losing.

You see, staying in my room is the way I ensure my team wins. Just like my husband changing his shirt and my daughter pacing. My eldest screams at the TV like they can hear her. My husband gets up and cleans to work off his anxiety. I stay in my room until it’s safe to come out. None of our tactics worked last night. The Thunder just didn’t pull it off. So we’re off to game seven heading into hostile territory. I still have faith they can win. Am I going to watch? No way!!! So what do you think? Am I worthy of being called a fan?